Thank you for trusting us to guide you to optimise your healing with the help of Y.P.E.T.(Yogic Prana Energisation Technique) researched and developed by Pragati Oswal, and suitable for fractures, injuries (new and old), post surgery rehabilitation and painful conditions, incl. chronic pain.
This natural approach is based on the ancient science and philosophy of Yoga, practiced for centuries by our ancestors and now proven by evidence-based modern science for its efficacy.
The journey comprises four steps, and we recommend that you explore each step sequentially for best results.
Once you master the technique, you can choose how to incorporate the method into your self-care/healing routine.
Every 'step' will provide you with a video explaining the various aspects of the method, and a guided meditation to action the theory.
In addition, we include some practical tips in 'Additional resources' to support your journey further.
As you embrace the practices, please feel free to reach out if you have any concerns or would like further assistance - we are here to support you.
Enjoy the journey!
With our best wishes
Sanko team & Pragati Oswal
Note from Pragati:
Bone fractures, injuries and chronic musculoskeletal aches and pains represent a global medical challenge for health care administrations, orthopaedic care providers and patients alike. During the time of treatment and recovery, there is a significant burden in terms of socio-economic costs, personal costs, and patient’s quality of life.
Yoga, an ancient science that provides a holistic approach to health, has been investigated by researchers for its application in therapy over the last 5 decades with several publications on its efficacy in management of chronic pain and wound healing.
Y.P.E.T. (Yogic Prana Energisation Technique) is an advanced yoga relaxation practice that involves breath regulation, chanting and visualisation, which, when combined, help revitalise the tissues and restore their healthy functioning. This technique involves several steps which progressively deepen the internal awareness, and help in developing voluntary mastery over the subtle energy system of the body (prana) .
According to the science of Ashtanga Yoga or Patanjali, pranayama (voluntary slowing of breath rate) is one of the eight techniques that help in achieving mastery over the mind–body complex (Swasapraswasayoh gatir vichedah pranayamah). Through this, one develops the ability to perceive and master the subtle energy system (pranamaya kosha) that is responsible for all the physiological activities (which keep us alive) within the material body (annamaya kosha).
Yoga therapy works on the principle that the mind (chitta) can manipulate the body functions through changing the quantity of prana that flows to an organ/part of the body. This is possible only by developing an introspective ability to first channel one's mind through intense focus on a single thought, that is fixed on the zone to be healed (desa bandhachittasya dharanam).
Pragati Oswal Msc, MA, PGD
First author of the published study, 'The effect of add-on YPET (yogic prana energisation technique) on healing of fresh fractures' in JACM
Breathwork or more appropriately - Breath Regulation - is termed as Pranayama in the science of Yoga.
‘Prana’ means vital energy or the life force and ‘Yama’ means regulation or control. Since prana enter the body through the breath, pranayama is translated as breath regulation.
Prana is the subtlest form of biological energy. It is present in every physical and mental event.
Prana, the life energy described here is not only the material electromagnetic energy spectrum known to modern science, but intelligence and consciousness as well - the two vital ingredients which animate the physical body, and without which nothing can remain alive.
Body’s main source of Prana is through breath, which on a broader level brings in oxygen and on a subtle level brings life energy. It is the prana which imbues life into breath. That’s why a dead person cannot be revived with oxygen.
Prana divides itself into 5 facets that govern various physiological functions.
1) Mukhya Prana - functions in the upper region especially respiration
2) Apana - functions of lower regions such as excretion and procreation
3) Samana - functions of the abdomen such as digestion
4) Udana - functions such as cognitive skills, memory and vomiting
5) Vyana - regulates the circulation, touch sensation, coordinates the other pranas and acts as a reserve for other pranas.
While Prana can be felt in forms of nerve impulses like tingling sensations, pulsation, vibration, muscular contractions or heatwave on particular areas of the body, or some sort of a magnetic field, it shouldn’t be confused with a nerve impulse.
A nerve impulse travels only in a particular direction. Prana, on the other hand, isn’t bound by direction. Prana is described as that which can increase or decrease by itself without any ostensible agency. It isn’t bound by the laws of physics that apply to other forms of energy such as sound, light, electricity etc. Intention and suggestion can influence prana.
While there are various methods to influence the different types of pranas, the easiest way to balance prana is by breathing with awareness.
The breath-rate starts to decrease when one breathes with awareness - that in itself is enough to facilitate restfulness and homeostasis, because the overall effort to inhale and exhale is reduced (as a corollary to reduced breath rate).
At rest, an adult breathes on an average 12 – 18 times per minute. Tortoise, considered as the longest living land animal, breathes about 3-4 times in a minute. The yogis observed this and developed breath regulation methods that conserve energy and facilitate recovery as well as longevity.
With regular practice of Pranayama, one can reduce the number of breaths to 7-11 per minute. This helps the body to harness energy enhancing the body’s ability to recover & repair itself. Physically, one can compare this to the endurance that marathon runners/athletes/sports professionals develop with regular physical training, which, over a period of time, leads to a decreased heart and a pulse rate at rest, as compared to an average person. As a result, athletes can handle and adapt to physical stress with greater ease.
Breath acts as a bridge between the involuntary and voluntary activities in the body. We breathe involuntarily anyway, but have the ability to regulate our breath voluntarily. The state of mind is conveyed to the state of the body through the rhythm of breath.
This is easy to observe when we are stressed mentally or physically - we involuntarily start to breathe faster or sometimes the stress “knocks the breath out” of us - literally. The paced-up breath sends messages to kick start the sympathetic response which increases heart rate, blood pressure, adrenaline in the blood etc.
On the other hand, a voluntary slow breathing rhythm signals the body to become restful and relaxed, much like how we breathe involuntarily when we are at ease, feel calm and peaceful, or are sleepy.
One of the best ways to minimise the damaging consequence of prolonged physical, mental and emotional stress is to consciously regulate our breath. A voluntarily regulated slower breath rate sends reminders to the body to relax, become restful and secrete chemicals that facilitate repair.
In other words, the situational stress may or may not be in one’s control, but one’s breath is, and so is the ability to optimise rest, recovery and repair.
When recovering from fractures, injuries or surgeries involving bone and tissue rehabilitation, correct nutrition plays a major role in optimal recovery and the restoration of strength and function.
Healing bones is a complex physiological process, relying on a coordinated participation of many factors and body systems all working together as a team. Bones are not just a reservoir of minerals, but part of regulating metabolism and influenced by hormones such as leptin and insulin.
It is therefore important to focus on creating the most conducive environment for these healing processes and provide the body with a boost of essential nutrients required.
Here are some useful guidelines to keep in mind when making your food choices when convalescing, so you can design your mineral-rich meals accordingly.
1) Include fish broth or bone broth to your diet each day (can be in a form of soup or a savoury hot drink), as fish and poultry are high in an amino acid proline, which is the main amino acid in bones.
Vegetarian and Vegan options of proline-rich foods are tofu, seaweed, kidney beans, chia seeds, asparagus, cashews and sunflower seeds.
2) Eat a wide variety of plant foods and leafy greens, a source of phytonutrients necessary for cellular health and optimal immune system function.
3) Add salmon, trout, and plancton-eating oily fish to your meals (sardines, mackerel, kippers) for greater intake of Omega 3 fatty acids. Vegetarian and Vegan options are avocados, walnuts, flax seed and chia seeds.
4) Eat nuts, especially almonds, as they are a good source of calcium
5) Include arginine-rich foods such as chickpeas, lentils, pumpkin seeds and dark chocolate, as arginine (a semi-essential amino acid) helps to create nitric oxide, necessary for tissue repair, bone growth and general healing.
6) Eat 2 or 3 meals per day only (no snacks in between) – Our bones play a big part in blood sugar level regulation, so the more frequently you eat, the more insulin you produce, and this tends to withdraw calcium from the bones, thins their density, and could predispose to bone fractures.
1) Avoid sugar, which creates an acid environment, and increases insulin production. If there is high acidity and high insulin, bone formation is halted, and bone breakdown increased. In addition, acidity in the tissues activates osteocalcin (hormone in bone) which breaks the bones down. Osteocalcin is also produced when we eat too frequently, as this activates the beta cells in the pancreas, which produces insulin which then inhibits osteoblasts – creating a vicious cycle.
2) Avoid all grains, including oats and rice – these are high in carbohydrates, which turn into glucose, and increase insulin surge within the body.
3) Avoid grain fed meat products
4) Avoid homogenised milk – A research study found that higher homogenised milk intake resulted in increased oxidative stress and inflammation, two of the major triggers for chronic disease. However, it provides further acknowledgment of the ancient wisdom behind the benefits of fermentation - researchers found that consuming fermented milk products such as yoghurt, soured milk and cheese was associated with lower rates of fracture and mortality.
Vitamins: K2, D, A, C, B6 and B9(folate)
Minerals: Magnesium, Potassium, Zinc, Manganese, Boron
It is advised to only use expertly formulated nutritional supplements - here is a link to a highly recommended bone support formula used by professional nutritional therapists.
Fleur Borelli, Psychoneuroimmunology and functional nutrition therapist
Chanting is repetition of certain sounds in a mono-tone.
Primordial refers to something which is basic, fundamental and exists from the very beginning of time or from early stages of development - hence primordial sounds are the most basic sounds that are independent of tongues movability. These are used instinctively by all human beings across the world, cultures and languages, to express the most basic emotions and feelings.
Sound per-se is a form of energy which creates vibrations that travel through a medium, in form of a wave.
Chanting of the primordial sounds of AAA, OOO(pronounced UUU) and MMM creates the experience of vibratory sensation in the whole body, especially around the vocal cords (during the production of the sound) and ears (during the perception of the sound).
These vibratory sensations are transmitted through the laryngeal and auricular branches of the vagus nerve, stimulating vagal centres, causing limbic (hypothalamo-pituitary-adrenal axis) deactivation and autonomic nervous system modulation toward parasympathetic dominance.
These effects, similar to vagus nerve stimulation, could alter the neurotransmitters and electrical signals, modulating the activity of the autonomic centres in the brain associated with the classic 3F's(fight, flight or freeze) responses in favour of the rest and digest1.
The repetitive aspect of chanting in a mono-tone facilitates the shift of brainwaves from beta (alert/awake) state of consciousness, towards more restful alpha and restorative delta states of consciousness.
In other words, chanting of primordial sounds enhances the ability of the body to become restful, so that recovery and healing can be optimised.
Magnesium plays a major part in supporting our health, as approximately 300 essential functions in our body depend on this mineral, many of these having a direct impact on our body chemistry and cellular repair.
Research reveals that magnesium is key in managing our circadian rhythm steady in order to control sleep, wakefulness, hormonal and body temperature regulation as well as many other body functions, down to the cellular level. In addition, Calcium and vitamin D depend on Magnesium to be metabolised properly, vital for bone health.
Mineral salt baths and foot baths have been used for hundreds of years to ease all kinds of ailments, and to this day, it is a popular natural remedy for relaxation, stress release, sleep issues, and general wellbeing. Mineral salt baths are anti-inflammatory, help soothe and relax muscles and loosen stiff joints. Bathing in the warm water at night also helps us sweat, bringing down our core temperature, while signifying to the body to relax and get ready for a good night's sleep, vital for cellular healing.
The two most known bath salts are Epsom salt and Sea salt.
Epsom salt is not actually salt, but a chemical compound found in water consisting of magnesium, sulphur and oxygen, and crystallises just like salt.
Sea salt is also obtained by evaporation, but has a different chemical structure - sodium chloride, with some trace minerals in varying degrees such as zinc, iron, and potassium.
Both Epsom salt and Sea salt are natural healers in warm water, and get absorbed through the skin easily. When absorbed through the skin, the minerals (magnesium mostly, with other beneficial trace minerals) interact with the brain helping to regulate body chemistry, blood pressure and help reduce any feelings of stress, leaving the body and mind calm, and at ease.
For a healing bath, use minimum of 2-3 cups of salts per tub of water, and relax for 20-30 mins.
NB: If you don't bath, a 20 minute soothing foot bath is a great alternative - simply soak your feet in a large bowl of warm water with two cups of Epsom/Bath salts, and relax.
After the bath or foot bath, you can massage a little magnesium butter into your feet.
Mind is understood as that part of a person that feels, perceives, thinks, wills and reasons.
Emotion is a feeling which converts itself into a physical experience.
Feeling is a powerful thought, a thought that had been given focussed attention.
Thought is an idea that has some potential, a kind of potential energy. A thought which has been thought over repetitively becomes powerful, and its potential energy converts into kinesis in the body. In other words, a thought becomes a (some)thing that can be felt in the body.
Visualisation is a process where one consciously creates a thought and gives it power by creating more thoughts around the same subject until it starts to convert itself into a feeling, and into an experience within the body.
Physically, this kind of focussed attention can lead to physical outcomes such as vasodilation that can help heal injuries (fractures, spasms, stiffness, joint-pain, inflammatory conditions etc) which require good blood circulation in the affected area.
Intention and willingness play an important part in consciously creating thoughts of healing to influence the physical outcome. This meditative process of mindful visualisation affects the sympatho-vagal balance of the body, and aids the release of oxytocin. Oxytocin, which is associated with social bonding & social well-being is also a regulator of bone mass.
Castor oil is made from “castor beans” which are the seeds of the Ricinus communis plant, and has been used for medicinal purposes for thousands of years.
Research now shows that castor oil has anti-inflammatory, antibacterial, and anti-fungal properties, and the numerous benefits of castor oil pack for healing and the relief of aches and pains are well documented.
Castor oil pack is for topical use only. For the most effective results, use a castor oil pack in combination with a hot water bottle or a heat pad.
The reason for applying it is that the pack is soaked with more oil than if it was rubbed into the skin, which allows for greater absorption. Use of the pack helps with numerous internal health issues, so besides reducing aches and pains, it is known to reduce inflammation and swelling, enhance the detoxification process, and can help with numerous digestive issues.
Castor oil is crammed full of ricinoleic acid, a fatty acid, which has the same chemical structure as the body’s natural anti-inflammatory prostaglandin.
Castor oil helps heal wounds by stimulating the growth of new tissue, reducing dryness and preventing the build-up of dead skin cells.
Castor oil has strong immune-enhancing effects as it supports the body’s lymphatic system. A small study found that adults who wore castor oil packs had increased lymphocytes compared with patients who used placebo packs. Lymphocytes are the body’s main immune cells that defend the body against foreign substances, such as bacteria, viruses, and damaged cells which can threaten its optimal function.
Placing the castor oil pack over the liver area (right-hand side of the body, under the ribcage) helps support liver detoxification. In addition, Castor oil packs help with increasing the levels of glutathione, which helps to release the build-up of toxins in the body.
A healthy lymphatic system and proper blood flow go hand in hand to keep the blood and lymph fluid levels balanced. The lymphatic system affects the health of various organs, including the heart, lungs, and the brain. Therefore, castor oil has an impact on our circulatory system as well, and offers a boost to our major organs.
The ricinoleic acid binds to receptors on the smooth muscle cells of the intestinal wall and causes them to contract and push the waste through the intestines, resulting in a better bowel movement, less gut inflammation and less bloating.
Because castor oil increases circulation while also providing intense moisture, it helps to promote hair growth, and helps with dandruff. Castor oil can also be carefully applied to the eyebrows and eyelashes.
Due to its antibacterial properties, castor oil can be used as a moisturiser as well as an anti-inflammatory treatment for acne-prone skin. For dry, flaky and itchy skin, apply directly to problem areas like knees, heels and elbows.
Alison Leighton, Nutritional Therapist, Colon Hydrotherapy practitioner, and the founder of ‘Castorvida'
Healing is a physical as well as a metaphysical process. Apart from physical recovery or alleviation of symptoms, the “self” registers healing as a feeling, a feeling of being okay, being good.
An attitude of gratitude helps strengthen this feeling of healing.
Gratitude channels the mind towards a positive stream of thoughts. It helps us appreciate our resources that we either take for granted or forget to think about consciously. In other words, it reminds us of our blessings in the times of lack or adversity.
One can convey gratitude through a prayer (a pure intention) or any other way that one feels thankful. This strengthens the intention to feel better, and heal.
Step 1 - Prayer - Tap into your inner child and pray to all pervading mother prana, a deity of your choice, or simply create a personal mantra for healing
Step 2 - Relaxation - to perceive the prana
Step 3 - Visualisation - directing the prana
Step 4 - Effortless flow of imagery
Step 5 - Union
Step 6 - Gratitude
